Sunday, May 13, 2018

Book Nook 5/13/18

Such a variety of free books today. I hope there is something in this mix that you must have! I have a busy work week ahead, so won't have much time to read!
Enjoy!~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~

Cool cat sleuths find clues as intoxicating as catnip, and help 1920s detectives solve crimes without missing a nap.

In Meow Baby, a pregnant woman disappears and Grace and Jack discover a skeleton that carries the secrets of the heart that once beat within it.

In Cupake Kitty, when a singer at their engagement party dies, Grace and Jack follow the trail of a bootlegger's dame to TiaJuana.

EXCERPT: Magical white cat Tatania became impatient with her humans. She could smell a succulent sea bass on the other side of the door. To encourage her humans to open it, she meowed. Zeus, her black and white feline companion, responded to her meow by putting his paws over his head and his rear end up in the air."How would you feel about spending a lot of time with me?" Jack asked."I feel like I already have," Grace said."It only gets better." He held up her hand and admired the emerald and diamond ring he'd bought her at Jessop & Sons jewelers last month."Marry me?""Of course."He opened the door to the Hotel del Coronado's Crown Room. A band played the Charleston. In the corner of the dance floor, there was an ice sculpture of two magnificent cats."What's going on?""Our engagement party.""Why were you so sure I'd say yes?""I'm arrogant."

In Meow or Never, they rush to find a wealthy stockbroker's missing wife.

EXCERPT: Cats truly live their nine lives at night. Zeus, a cute and mischievous tomcat, kept following the tide in and out, letting the water sprinkle his nose, and acting surprised when the tide chased him back to the shore. Wet, he shook like a puppy. Then, he sniffed each front paw carefully. Tatania looked away. She was terribly fond of Zeus. But sometimes, he was a tad unseemly. He scampered exitedly towards their favorite humans, a slender woman in a sparkling dress, and a muscular man with black hair and skin kissed brown by the sun. Zeus rolled around on the sand. Maybe he had dog blood in him. Tatania shuddered at the thought of that mating.

In Catty Corner, when an art heist happens during Grace and Jack's rooftop cocktail party, the cool cats pounce on the trail of a collector who finds art as intoxicating as catnip.

EXCERPT:"Where have you been all my life?" A grey haired man asked a young flapper."I don't think I was alive for half of it," she replied, blowing smoke from a six inch rhinestone cigarette holder.

The Cool Cat Mystery Series can be read in any order. If you'd like to know the chronological order of the series, here it is for you:

Valentine Beaumont is a beautician with a problem. Not only has she got a meddling mother, a wacky staff, and a dying business, but now she’s got a dead client who was strangled while awaiting her facial.

With business the way it is, combing through this mystery may be the only way to save her salon. Until a second murder, an explosion, a kidnapping, death threats, and the hard-nosed Detective Romero complicate things. But Valentine will do anything to untangle the crime. That’s if she can keep her tools of the trade in her bag, keep herself alive, and avoid falling for the tough detective.

Max Walters is a talented bridal consultant with dreams of moving to New York and being a designer, even if it means leaving behind her serene California seaside home.

When a shocking murder rips the tranquil veneer of Crystal Shores to shreds, she discovers there is more to her home town than meets the eye. With her friend arrested for murder and the police refusing to search for another suspect, Max quickly discovers the only way to clear his name is to investigate for herself. Despite the concern of the handsome Detective Cruz, Max weaves together a list of suspects that puts her on the path to the real killer.

Will she be able to tie up the loose threads and catch the murderer? Or will the murderer get to her first?

"My name is Jules Hooker. I have lived through a few crappy moments in my life—and with a name like Hooker, you can just imagine—but nothing, nothing, compares to the two intensely and world-shatteringly crappy things that happened to me this last June.Three, I guess, if you count Gilbert.After my boyfriend dumped me on the day I thought he was going to propose, I’d have to say two other really bad things happened last June. The first would have to be the dead body I discovered in the rental house in France where I went to get over being dumped. The second—and very possibly I should have led with this—was the dirty bomb that exploded over the Riviera throwing me and everyone else in France back to the 1950s.So now I’m stranded here—trying to make a living by solving murders the old fashioned way — without help from DNA, databases, CSI crime labs or the police.And I’m doing it in France.Where I do not speak the language.During the apocalypse.Sound like fun?"

Laugh out loud with Doodle, the cheeky canine narrator who has delighted dog lovers and fans of gentle mysteries of all ages.

When Doodle’s “career change” lands him a job with a new boss, he’s not worried. Sniffing out bed bugs? Easy as pie. Well, easier, actually, as getting pie can be a problem for a dog. Doodle finds best part of the new job is Molly, the boss’s ten-year old daughter, who slips Doodle extra treats when she’s not snapping photos with the camera she carries everywhere. But Molly has secrets of her own. And when she enlists Doodle’s help to solve a crime, his nose and her camera lead them straight into danger.

Readers have called the Doodlebugged mysteries perfect of fans of Spencer Quinn’s popular Chet & Bernie mysteries, and best-selling author Virginia Smith called Bed-Bugged, "a first-rate mystery" and a "triumphant beginning to a series."

Faith Franklin feels like she’s walking on air since moving to beautiful, sunny Florida.

Her café, Slice of Paradise, is thriving. She’s met the man of her dreams. And, together with her friend, Laura, she has even begun writing a recipe column for the local paper, The Paradise Gazette.

Everything is falling into place!

So, when she’s asked to prepare some of her delicious treats for a boat party hosted by the newspaper, no one is surprised when her catering is a huge hit. What is a surprise, however, is the drowning that occurs when the fashion columnists falls overboard.

Was the fashionista's death an accident? The Sheriff’s Department seems to think so. But something just doesn’t sit right with Faith. And she’s determined to discover the truth…

Find out what happens in Faith Franklin’s second whodunit, The Cheesecake Fake!

LAPD Detective Kate Sexton and her canine partner, Bernie, return in this edge-of-your-seat thriller with laugh-out-loud humor. Hollywood Blood is the second book in the Hollywood Alphabet Series Thrillers.

If you think you’ve got problems, meet LAPD cop, Kate Sexton. She’s just been promoted to the department’s elite Robbery Homicide Division, along with her canine partner, Bernie, a first for the homicide unit. But things immediately go downhill when a famous singer’s manager is shot and killed during one of Kate’s mother’s psychic séances. While Kate tries to balance her troubled relationship with her mother and an ex-cop, things get even crazier when the killer strikes again . . . and again . . . and then targets those closest to the investigation.

As she tracks the killer, things turn even more bizarre when Kate learns the suspect in the homicides is the leader of a blood thirsty cult out for revenge. To make matters worse, Bernie’s sexual wanderlust is out of control, her best friend Natalie meddles in the case, and Kate’s boss thinks she’s leaking details about the murders to the press.

Hollywood Blood is a thrill ride, with even more sex, laughs, and twists & turns than the first book in the series, Hollywood Assassin. Other books in the Hollywood Alphabet Series Thrillers by MZ Kelly include: Hollywood Crazy and Hollywood Dirty. And coming soon, Hollywood Enemy!

A mystery with a shocking twist.She’s tall, blonde, snarky, and wanted. Dead or alive.It’s her word against the fiance who framed her.She changes her name and skips town.Will she get away?She can shoot.She’s better at drinking.A handsome Apache saves her life.His totally awesome brother is the sheriff.Love adventure? How about blasting guns, sizzling ocean sunsets, dry wit & wild Injins? Not to mention hot men and sexy women.An Apache cowgirl is hunting for cattle when life gets complicated. She’s being watched. And hunted. One thing after another goes wrong. The shit just piles up.What next?Ten more books.A great novel for fans of Anne & Tony Hillerman's Navajo Mysteries and Craig Johnson's Longmire series.Get a leg up on this action-packed mystery series now.If you like a chuckle, buy "On the Rocks".

Just in time for the holidays! The author of Stress Relief Foods and Recipes, Grace Lawrence has created a new book that takes the best stress relief foods and turns them into easy and delicious smoothies.

Treat yourself to these smoothies any time of the day. If you are feeling agitated, the Mang-il Smoothie may provide the calm you are searching for. If you suffer from headaches associated with stress, try the Pineapple Spinach Smoothie. Don't let the spinach scare you away! The taste is both refreshing and soothing. Or try the Chai Tea Smoothie to strengthen your immune system which often takes a beating in times of stress.

21 Stress Relief Smoothie Recipes also contains a list of best foods for stress relief that you can use to create your own delicious smoothies.

Do you love the taste of grilled food? Are you something of a barbecue junkie when summer comes around?There can be nothing better than the smell of food cooking on a charcoal grill and it's food that so many of us love.Whether you have the luxury of a complete outdoor kitchen or just a small patio for grilling, we can all enjoy the simple pleasure of grilling, and with Grill It! 125 Easy Recipes, you have a book that will serve as the ideal accompaniment.Complete with dozens of recipes, all with detailed instructions, you could soon be making tasty dishes like:

Chicken Breasts with Ginger Garlic Marinade

Flaming Chicken Satay

Teriyaki Halibut

Korean Barbecue Ribs

Bourbon Baby Back Ribs

Hobo Turkey

Grilled Marinated Pheasant

And more...

Grill It! also gives you a range of tasty sauces and marinades that really bring out the flavor of meat, as well as breads, vegetables and even a few desserts to round your meal off.Whatever foods you like grilling, Grill It! will make them better and tastier than ever before.

Southern food is America’s iconic and unique cuisine. From creole to cajun, grits to hoecakes, fried okra to fried chicken - these are classic foods of the Southern states. If you are from the South, these recipes will remind you of the foods your mother and grandmother used to make. If you’re not from the South, you are in for a real treat experiencing new flavors and cooking methods.

In Southern Cuisine, you will find classic Southern recipes covering breakfast, dinner and dessert as well as a range of party appetizers. These recipes are simple and delicious to make. Enjoy a bit of Southern Living through its food.

The humorous cartoon adventures of two hapless heroes, Dahler & Nicholls, dedicated officers of the law, who, with the aid of their intrepid four-legged assistant Horatio, try their level best to "make the streets safe for decent citizens."

Sometimes they succeed...

A cute comic - imagine if "Dick Tracy" had been drawn by Abbott & Costello or Laurel & Hardy. Over 120 full-page B&W illustrations fill the pages, cover to cover. (The paperback edition conveniently doubles as a coloring book.)

Once upon a time, two brothers wished to preserve their German folklore in a collection of tales that they believed had been handed down for generations. When they began in 1812 they had just 86 stories that rather harshly reflected the difficult life of European peasantry. Subsequent editions would grow to hold over 200 tales. As time passed, the Brothers Grimm found that their collection of fairy tales, with all of its royalty, magical creatures, and brave adventures, entranced those who read them. This compilation of fairy tales which includes the complete canon of over 200 tales has become a beloved set of classical stories the world over. Presented here in this edition is the faithful translation of Margaret Hunt.

We can never know all the secrets our ancestors held in their hearts, but what if there was a locked room in our grandparents' house that gave us a glimpse into the past? When Tiffany Warren comes to her grandmother's house to pack it up, she finds such a room, and curiosity drives her to find the key that will open the door. After searching the house, she finds it, and when she opens the door to the mysterious room, what she finds will change her life forever. ~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~

The Thing on the Doorstep"The Thing on the Doorstep" is a short story written by H.P. Lovecraft, part of the Cthulhu Mythos universe of horror fiction. It was written in August 1933, and first published in the January 1937 issue of Weird Tales.Daniel Upton, the story's narrator, begins by telling that he has killed his best friend, Edward Derby, and that he hopes his account will prove that he is not a murderer ...~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~DIY:

Solar power is taking the entire world by storm and you can join this revolution as well with the help of this comprehensive guide. Say goodbye to those electricity bills and create your own solar power system in no time. We have covered a wide range of topics in this book, including:

The significance of solar power

The basic structure of a solar power system

Creating a solar power generator

Tips for an easy construction and maintenance of the system

The guide will introduce you with the fundamental block of a solar power system like solar panels, inverters, batteries, and more. The DIY process for creating your own solar generator is both easy and safe. Get to know more about the type of electricity, the power ranking, net metering, and other basic concepts related to solar power. Read on and implement these easy steps. The guide will certainly let you create your own solar power system in no time.

He is everything I’ve ever wanted in a man. And I will do anything to get him. Even if I have to lie to him — Ethan

He is a sinful temptation. A guy who loves pushing all my buttons. But I can’t touch him. And I most definitely cannot have him — Joe

Ethan Skye has had only one goal in mind since the first night he walked into Saron, the most exclusive gay club in Tokyo: to win the heart of Joe Cavendish, its brooding owner and the man he’d fallen in love with at first sight. When Ethan takes a job as a bartender at Saron to get closer to Joe, little does he know that his actions will set him in the sights of an obsessive admirer.

Jaded by his troubled past and with his heart very much guarded, Joe Cavendish has one strict rule in life: never mix business with pleasure. Unfortunately for Joe, one cocky, sexy bartender seems intent on testing that resolve to its very limits, and Joe finds his patience and his libido increasingly challenged as he fights his growing attraction for his new employee. But after Joe discovers the danger Ethan is in, his possessive instincts compel him to take on the role of Ethan’s personal bodyguard and pretend lover.

Can Joe protect Ethan from his increasingly violent stalker and maintain his own sanity while he gets up close and personal to the alluring young man storming his way inside his numb heart? Will Ethan overcome Joe’s stubbornness and convince the club owner to take a chance on love? Or will the secrets they’ve been keeping from each other threaten their fragile, burgeoning relationship?

Discover Ethan and Joe’s story in this second novella in the hot, contemporary romance series Nights by A.M. Salinger.

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I love books! My favorite genres are cozy mysteries, m/m romance, and natural health. You will see a lot of them listed here. Some I have read and some I want to read in the future. I hope you find some favorites here, too. Most of them are free at the time of listing, but no guarantees they will remain so. You'll find the (almost) daily listings to the right, in the Blog Archive --->

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Kim Moreno is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Kim is also a member of the following affiliate advertising programs: Share-a-Sale, CaféPress, Commission Junction and SurThrival.